Company expands services to meet growing demand for small modular reactors
The energy sector has been undergoing a major change for quite some time. In addition to reductions in fossil fuels, an important driver for change has been the brisk growth of renewable energy forms, but nuclear power has definitely also played a part.
In recent years, the media has highlighted news related to nuclear power plants at a steady pace around the globe. One particularly hot item, as far as the nuclear industry is concerned, has been small modular reactors (SMR). Companies focusing on SMRs have been set up at a high rate all around the world, including in Finland.
Apart from safety and low-emissions nature of the energy, the advantages of SMR plants include also scalability as emphasised by the word “modular”. But size aside, the potential of also SMR plants can only be realised provided project planning and implementation, as well as the operation and maintenance of the plants represent the very highest standards.
In other words, the SMR plants must hold the same trump cards as plants of the conventional size class.
TVONS (TVO Nuclear Services) has expanded its own service portfolio to be able to meet this growing demand. At present, this includes also the advisory and expert services which are required for the preparatory and planning stages of SMR projects. TVONS can already boast experience in providing such services.
Smaller, But With The Same Responsibility
Managing Director Ari Leppänen from TVONS admits that the same basic principles apply regardless of whether the client seeks expertise in conventional or SMR plants.
In both cases, it is our task to ensure that the plants operate reliably and efficiently through their whole life cycle, Leppänen says, but will admit that also a new kind of thinking is needed to operate SMR plants.
The scale of the plants may be smaller, but the responsibility is at least as great as with the larger plants. This is even more so as many of the future SMR plants are planned to be located much closer to built-up areas than the existing conventional plants, he acknowledges.
He promises that services to support the commissioning and operational reliability of plants in the new size class will be available in Olkiluoto.
TVO Nuclear Services can cater to the following aspects of SMR partnerships:
- Requirements in nuclear energy sector and regulatory expertise
Extensive experience with safety standards and regulatory requirements. - Preparatory, design, and implementation stages of projects
Practice-oriented expertise in overall project management. - Expert resources during the plant’s life cycle
Supporting services from design through commissioning and operational stage. - Building of operating organisation and operational capability
Knowledge required to build up the future operating organisation during the project stage. - Comprehensive service approach
Client-driven approach – we work as part of the client’s core team throughout the project. - Tested operating models and best practices
Operating models refined over the decades support risk management and successful implementation of projects.
For more information, go to www.TVONS.fi. Enquiries to tvons@tvo.fi
